Specsavers' second England-India Test, 2018: Five Reasons why India lost

#3. Umesh Yadav's absence in the playing XI

Umesh Yadav could have played a crucial role in the game, had he been present

Although this may look like a continuation of the previous reason, Umesh's absence denotes more than just that. The lanky pacer would have brought with him his wide array of attacking pace options, one of the few techniques that the English pacers employed so successfully in the game. Aiming to hit the deck is more like second nature for Umesh, and it would have come handy for India on a seaming wicket, especially considering that they were defending a total of just 107 from their first inning.

Umesh Yadav was replaced by left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav who, for his part, did not impress at all. For one, Kuldeep was given just nine overs to bowl, and for another, he went wicket-less with an economy rate of over four. Umesh's presence would have certainly meant that the other pacers were given more resting time between spells, while at the same time providing India with another attacking option to chose from. Virat's decision to bench him deserves no excuses here.